The Criminal Court of Thailand has rejected the documentation and evidences that Luang Pu Issara from Wat Onoi presented, because he is not the direct victim of the alleged crimes!!That is how Thai Justice works...

Luang Pu was presenting evidences about the ramifications and extensions of the fraud (that can not be the work of one man alone)

So this humble boy from Ubon who calls himself Nenkham managed to buy 22 Benz cars within only 2 years which cost him about 95 million baht ... without anybody from the Dhammayut administration noticing or blinking an eye, of course. The DSI investigators are taking DNA samples from his 'wife' and child.

Here are photocopies of his passport and visas, which had to be approved by senior monks in Bangkok so that he could travel on a 'religious mission' abroad. And some nice pics with his own house in America where he might be heading next:http://hilight.kapook.com/view/88425

The Department of Special Investigation is pushing for the termination of Luang Pu Nenkham's status as a monk and the cancellation of his passport."We will officially ask the Supreme Sangha Council and the National Office of Buddhism to do this," DSI chief Tarit Pengdith said yesterday. Nopparat said the process to terminating his monastic status could be completed within two days."The National Office of Buddhism will also be asked to contact the Foreign Ministry to arrange the revocation of his passport," Tarit added.

Raksha wrote:The Thai media is full of monk scandals at the moment, but what really cuts me is the murder of ecology monks (phra nak anuraksa) by the Thai military who resent their obstruction of illegal logging. These reports almost never appear in the Thai media due to censorship. I'm told that the preferred method is to discharge a violent schizophrenic from hospital, drug them and arm them with a machete, then push them into the forest monk's kuti!!! To my mind, all other Thai corruption scandals pale in comparison with these crimes. Anyway, on a slightly lighter note, here is the most infamous of the current 'monk scandal' videos...(Apart from anything else the abbot paid just $12)

Raksha wrote:The Thai media is full of monk scandals at the moment, but what really cuts me is the murder of ecology monks (phra nak anuraksa) by the Thai military who resent their obstruction of illegal logging. These reports almost never appear in the Thai media due to censorship. I'm told that the preferred method is to discharge a violent schizophrenic from hospital, drug them and arm them with a machete, then push them into the forest monk's kuti!!! To my mind, all other Thai corruption scandals pale in comparison with these crimes. Anyway, on a slightly lighter note, here is the most infamous of the current 'monk scandal' videos...(Apart from anything else the abbot paid just $12)

Once they catch him they should remove his robes (which he has no right to be wearing) and put him in another outfit of an orange colour - A prison uniform

mettaJack

"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

Police asked the man what wat he is from - 'nong lua' sounds likeAsked the girl how old - 21what were they doing....... silenceWere you sleeping with the monk .........yeshow much did he pay...........400B

Luang Pu Nenkham is a controversial monk today. But months ago, thousands of people held complete faith in him.How did he manage to command their overwhelming respect and support? The answer might be as simple as a well-crafted marketing plan.

It all began many years ago when someone in his close circle reportedly took notice of people wondering why he looked much older in a photo than his true age, then decided to spread a story that he was born to liberate Buddhists from the chain of suffering.

Since the rumours circulated, the monk has attracted a huge following. He came to be called a "Luang Pu" - a title usually reserved for a monk old enough to be a grandfather, instead of a man still in his 30s today.

His Dharma books boosted his fame even further. Some of them, like "Chart Na Mai Khor Ma Kerd" (I shall not be born again) and "Nippan Mee Jing" (Nirvana exists), became bestsellers.

His PR team continued to churn out propaganda, such as that Luang Pu Nenkham was a direct disciple of Lord Buddha but had sinned in Heaven and was sent back to the mortal world, or that people who made merit with Luang Pu Nenkham could join him on his ascent back to Heaven.

Luang Pu Nenkham also made a similar claim in his sermons.

"In Lord Buddha's life, I was among his 400 disciples. All of my friends became arahant [one who has reached the highest stage of enlightenment]. Because I was the only one who had not yet attained that state, I was instructed to be born for one last time and in this life, I shall lead you all on the path to nirvana," he said. (...)

Department of Special Investigation (DSI) investigators yesterday managed to get a DNA sample from Luang Pu Nenkham's half brother, while further investigation found that the monk had bought a total of 35 cars in Ubon Ratchathani.These cars are in addition to the 22 luxury cars the monk allegedly bought.Meanwhile, the woman who claims to have had a sexual relationship with the monk since she was 14 was led to a Si Sa Ket court yesterday by lawyer Somchai Wongthanathorn to file a criminal lawsuit. In the lawsuit, the monk faces four charges, including statutory rape of a minor and taking a minor from the care of her parents. The woman also alleges that Luang Pu Nenkham is the father of her 11-year-old son.DSI chief Tarit Pengdith said his agency would look to see who the monk, also known as Phra Weerapol Sukpol, had given the 35 cars to. The cars were purchased under Phra Weerapol's name. As to whether those who took the cars would be considered wrongdoers, Tarit said it depends very much on their intention. If these cars were accepted for simple monastic use, then the investigators would ensure the recipients don't get wrongly punished.

Interesting to follow the legal side of this case and study the way in which the Thai monastic law operates abroad:

Monk says temples in Europe will take him: supporter

Luang Pu Nenkham dismissed a threat by Thai monastic authorities to expel him and claimed Buddhist temples in France and Germany were ready to take him in. He said he would return to Thailand on July 31 with "bigger greatness", key follower Sukhum Wongprasit said yesterday.The Office of National Buddhism chief Nopparat Benjawatananun warned, however, that such a move was impractical and would still end up with the monk lacking authority or being unsupervised, because temples overseas weren't under Thai law or the Buddhist Order Act.A transfer of supervision needed permission from the previous supervisor as well as an official letter from the new supervising temple, he said.Sukhum yesterday submitted a request for justice to the Supreme Patriarch's Secretary's Office at Wat Bovornniwet but it was turned down on grounds that he didn't make an appointment and he wasn't a "damaged party". He also lacked a proper letter to show he had permission to act on the monk's behalf.So Sukhum gave the letter to Wat Bovornniwet abbot assistant Phra Thepsarnvethi, who said he would present it to Acting Dhammayut order head, Somdej Phra Wannarat, although there is a procedure in the Sangha chain of command to handle such issues. (...)http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 10301.html

It is obvious that Thai authorities cannot ask for Nenkham's extradition from USA merely on the basis of the Sangha Act, but have to use other criminal charges against him:

Si Sa Ket monastic authorities say 'Luang Pu Nenkham' defrocked

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) will today consider whether to seek a warrant for the arrest of the jet-setting former monk known as Luang Pu Nenkham for alleged statutory rape and money laundering.A warrant could lead to the extradition of the monk - also known as Phra Wirapol Sukpol - who is believed to be living in the United States and has refused to return to Thailand as long as there is "no justice" for him.The DSI move came after Si Sa Ket's monastic authorities yesterday announced that Luang Pu Nenkham was no longer a monk.A monastic disciplinary-probe team met at Wat Pa Sri Samran in the province yesterday. After the meeting, the Si Sa Ket monastic chief's secretary Phra Khru Wacharasitthikhun said the team considered information from the DSI and the Office of National Buddhism, as well as the case of a woman who had revealed an alleged sexual relationship with Luang Pu Nenkham. It was agreed at the meeting that he would be expelled from the monkhood. Phra Khru Wacharasitthikhun said the officials could proceed with legal action against the monk.DSI chief Tarit Pengdith said the agency was considering seeking an arrest warrant for statutory rape, as the woman who claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Luang Pu Nenkham from the time she was 14 until they had a child together would officially file a compliant with the DSI.Retrieval of allegedly embezzled assets could be a lengthy task because many had been moved, Tarit said. But he said the department would try to retrieve as many as possible.Tarit said the DSI would also contact related agencies regarding procedures to extradite the monk back to Thailand, pointing out that other countries gave importance to child-molestation and money-laundering cases.Pol Lt-Colonel Korrawat Panprapakorn, director of the DSI's Bureau of Regional Operations Centre, said investigators tracing the monk's car purchases suspected he had bought at least 100 vehicles. The DSI would try to retrieve them all and summon those involved in the purchases to give information. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 10355.html

Thai 'missionary' (dhammaduta) monks going abroad carry a special diplomatic passport, not an ordinary Thai passport, so they enjoy a different status ... as long as it lasts.

forestmat wrote:I don't believe Mr. Wirapol Sukphol (formerly known as Luang Pu Nen Kham) was ever granted the status of being a dhammaduta monk was he?

Yesterday evening, the web of Wat Thai Las Vegas http://www.alittlebuddha.com/ was displaying pictures of his passport, his American Visa, and an invitation letter from Ajahn Pankao Nyanadharo (Wat Bodhinyanarama in France) issued in order to request the European Schengen Visa. Now those pictures, with many other documents, have disappeared. Perhaps it was illegal to display that personal data on the web.

forestmat wrote:I don't believe Mr. Wirapol Sukphol (formerly known as Luang Pu Nen Kham) was ever granted the status of being a dhammaduta monk was he?

Yesterday evening, the web of Wat Thai Las Vegas http://www.alittlebuddha.com/ was displaying pictures of his passport, his American Visa, and an invitation letter from Ajahn Pankao Nyanadharo (Wat Bodhinyanarama in France) issued in order to request the European Schengen Visa. Now those pictures, with many other documents, have disappeared. Perhaps it was illegal to display that personal data on the web.

gavesako wrote:Interesting to follow the legal side of this case and study the way in which the Thai monastic law operates abroad:

Thai 'missionary' (dhammaduta) monks going abroad carry a special diplomatic passport, not an ordinary Thai passport, so they enjoy a different status ... as long as it lasts.

Nammasakarn Tahn Ajahn Gavesako,

I don't believe Mr. Wirapol Sukphol (formerly known as Luang Pu Nen Kham) was ever granted the status of being a dhammaduta monk was he?

If one is an ordinary Thai monk wishing to go abroad, one has to go through a Dhammaduta exam and study some course and supposedly also be able to communicate in English. However, while this is true on paper, one Ajahn (Dhammayut) who was helping with the exams told me that from a class of about 80 monks, only 3 barely managed to answer a question in English...If one already has some title or rank, however, one will be able to get permission to travel abroad quite easily because the civil and monastic authorities very much go by ranks. Monks from well-known and wealthy temples in Bangkok can tour the world supposedly on a 'religious mission' but doing nothing more than perhaps presiding over some ceremonies or house blessings. There seems to be an exception made for certain forest monks who are seen as a special sub-group of the Thai Sangha (araññavasi) and are expected to be well-trained and have knowledge gained from meditation rather than from the classroom. LP Nenkham styled himself in this light, claiming to be part of the Ajahn Mun/Ajahn Sao lineage, while at the same time bribing (if that is the right word) the important monks who would be granting him permissions.

gavesako wrote:Interesting to follow the legal side of this case and study the way in which the Thai monastic law operates abroad:

Thai 'missionary' (dhammaduta) monks going abroad carry a special diplomatic passport, not an ordinary Thai passport, so they enjoy a different status ... as long as it lasts.

Nammasakarn Tahn Ajahn Gavesako,

I don't believe Mr. Wirapol Sukphol (formerly known as Luang Pu Nen Kham) was ever granted the status of being a dhammaduta monk was he?

If one is an ordinary Thai monk wishing to go abroad, one has to go through a Dhammaduta exam and study some course and supposedly also be able to communicate in English. However, while this is true on paper, one Ajahn (Dhammayut) who was helping with the exams told me that from a class of about 80 monks, only 3 barely managed to answer a question in English...If one already has some title or rank, however, one will be able to get permission to travel abroad quite easily because the civil and monastic authorities very much go by ranks. Monks from well-known and wealthy temples in Bangkok can tour the world supposedly on a 'religious mission' but doing nothing more than perhaps presiding over some ceremonies or house blessings. There seems to be an exception made for certain forest monks who are seen as a special sub-group of the Thai Sangha (araññavasi) and are expected to be well-trained and have knowledge gained from meditation rather than from the classroom. LP Nenkham styled himself in this light, claiming to be part of the Ajahn Mun/Ajahn Sao lineage, while at the same time bribing (if that is the right word) the important monks who would be granting him permissions.

Nammasakarn Tahn Ajahn,

I had sight of what were alleged/reported to be copies of Wirapol Sukphol's passport and Visa after they were put briefly online - neither appeared to indicate any form of special status.

This former monk's website still carries one of his quotes that he perhaps failed to heed himself:(spelling errors are from the original translation)

“Foolishness from being deceived by others is nothing compare with foolishness from allowing defilements (impurities) to lead your minds into wrong directions." -- Luang Pu Nenkham Chattigo

...The ruling was made in absentia as the former monk (Nenkham) is believed to be in the United States after leaving France. He has ignored orders to return to defend himself after a string of accusations were levelled against him.

...The former monk was implicated on eight criminal counts by the DSI. They are false advertising by claiming that he had an audience with the deity Indra; rape of a minor; tax avoidance on luxury cars; illicit drug taking; using fake educational certification; reckless driving; money laundering; and claims about supernatural powers.

Things like these are not that rare in other Buddhist traditions, and in other spiritual / religious schools, right?

I guess part of the shock around the jet-setting monks etc. is that so far, Theravada has had the reputation of being relatively free of scandals, the most un-problematic tradition of Buddhism. As far as I know, scandals used to be the domain of Tibetan Buddhism and Zen. My first mental association to "scandal in Buddhist sangha" is a Tibetan or Zen teacher having sex with students or using drugs or murky financial schemes.

binocular wrote:Things like these are not that rare in other Buddhist traditions, and in other spiritual / religious schools, right?

I guess part of the shock around the jet-setting monks etc. is that so far, Theravada has had the reputation of being relatively free of scandals, the most un-problematic tradition of Buddhism. As far as I know, scandals used to be the domain of Tibetan Buddhism and Zen. My first mental association to "scandal in Buddhist sangha" is a Tibetan or Zen teacher having sex with students or using drugs or murky financial schemes.

Oh ...

Things like this happen all the time in Thailand but usually not on such a grand scale...it is in the newspapers and on TV from time to time....the bulk of it is not interesting enough or unusual enough to even warrant mentioning in the news....

I think it is mostly people who have never lived in a country with a large monkhood who are so taken by this scandal...although it certainly is an extensive list of accusations and so is being featured in the news everyday here in Thailand but this has a lot to do with Thai people liking to talk about a good scandal of any kind so it makes good copy.chownah

chownah wrote:Things like this happen all the time in Thailand but usually not on such a grand scale...it is in the newspapers and on TV from time to time....the bulk of it is not interesting enough or unusual enough to even warrant mentioning in the news....

I think it is mostly people who have never lived in a country with a large monkhood who are so taken by this scandal...although it certainly is an extensive list of accusations and so is being featured in the news everyday here in Thailand but this has a lot to do with Thai people liking to talk about a good scandal of any kind so it makes good copy.chownah

Yep it's the scale of the accusations that is staggering:

The amount of money alone is incredible!

"Wirapol Sukpol, better known as Luang Pu Nenkham, has reportedly almost emptied his 41 bank accounts by withdrawing up to Bt300 million. He has allegedly only left a total of about Bt3 million in his accounts."

Perhaps Thais will finally begin to realize that it's inappropriate to be putting money into almsbowls and that donations should be made to the temple, provided there is a proper committee overseeing the running of any bank accounts/donations - which there clearly were not with Mr Wirapol who appears to have had the accounts in his own name when he was a 'monk':